Seam for fabrics



July 1939. M. T. PRESENT SEAM F01 1 FABRICS v r [771/ e775 0? Moriv'me'r 77 12505;

Filed Sept. 6, 1938 a m Jae-1 1 Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED s'm'rss PATENT OFFICE SEAM FOR FABRICS Mortimer T. Present, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Janalene, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application September 6, 1938, Serial No. 228,487

2 Claims.

In uniting two pieces of fabric by means of a seam it has been the custom to lay one piece upon the other and unite them near their edges by stitches passing through both fabrics. Then when the united pieces are to be finished with a pleat, cuff or flat seam the two edge extensions are spread apart and flattened by pressing. This involves the operation of removal from the sewing machine to the presser, pressing, and removal from the presser back to the sewing machine.

Also, the two pieces of fabric are held by stitches through only their two thicknesses and any separating pull on the flat seam is on the stitching which tends to open the seam .and

break the stitches The object of this invention is (1) to make a stronger seam by stitching through three thicknesses of fabric; (2) to make a seam that remains flat without pressing, and (3) to make a seam that will not open when the joined pieces are pulled apart and deliver all of the strain upon the stitches.

The object also is to provide a novel spreader for use on sewing machines in common use in my new method of uniting fabrics by stitching.

I accomplish the above and other objects which will hereafter appear, by the means and methods illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which the seam is flattened;

Fig. 4, a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a top plan view of the cloth seamed as in Fig. 3, with the seam flattened;

Fig. 6, a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. '7, a top plan view of a fragment of two pieces of cloth seamed together in the customary way; and

at the seam 4' is apparent.

A comparison of Fig. 8 with Fig. 6, similarly illustrating applicants improved seam makes the difference readily apparent.

Informing applicants seam, which is illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, the piece 3 is folded back upon itself the usual distance, along the line of the proposed seam, and while thus folded it is placed upon the companion piece, back the corresponding distance from its edge and the two pieces are joined by a row of stitching 4, as shown in Fig. 3. Then the body portion of piece 2 is folded out from under the piece 3 to the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. As best shown in. Fig. 6, the stitching 4 passes through two thicknesses of the cloth of piece 3 and II through one thickness of piece 2. It will also be observed that the seam is flattened without pressing, that there is no gap between the sides of the seam and that folding over of the body of piece 2 covers and protects the threads of the seam.

The forming of this improved seam is readily accomplished on a sewing machine of usual construction by the aid of a folding attachment such as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

This folder comprises a body member 5 which is secured to the table 6 of a sewing machine by screws I or any other suitable means. The body 5 has an elastic plate extension 8 formed with a guard 9 at its junction with body 5. An arm I0 is swingingly attached to the body 5 by a set screw H so the arm can be adjusted in position over plate 8 or swung away from over it. A stop l2 limits the swing in one direction.

On the end of arm l0 over plate 8 is the device for folding the edge of the top piece 3 of fabric comprising a plate l3, here shown as smaller than plate 8 which is under it. It has a re-- duced width l4 connected by a U-shape bend with'plate l3 and the end of member I4 is turned under by a U-shape bend to form a gauge and support 15 for the folded edge of the fabric piece. A projecting end of the gauge and support I5 is curved upwardly as shown in Fig. 1 to make a tension on the cloth fed over it through the folder.

In the operation of the folder, an edge of the piece 2 of the fabric, here shown as serrated, is placed upon the plate 8 and is pushed under the guard 9 until stopped by contact of its edge against the bend between plate 8 and guard 9. Then, without changing the position of the piece 2, the serrated edge of the fabric piece 3, is pushed back across the plate l3 and around in contact with the bend between plate I3 and member l4 and on across the gauge and support l5 into stopping engagement with the bend between members II and IS. The fabric pieces 2 and 3 are then joined by a line of stitching d placed by the operation of a needle of a sewing machine of any usual and suitable construction with which my improved folder is used as an attachment.

After being manually started through the folder as above described the piece 3 will be automatically folded and the two pieces of fabric fed through the machine and stitched together. The plates 8 and I3 are sufilciently elastic to allow them to be moved toward each other to clamp the goods against slipping in the folder. The end i5 is turned upwardly to further prevent such slipping. The two pieces, when straightened into a common plane, will have a seam which is fiat without pressing, and which also is stronger.

The invention is applicable to cloth, leather and all like materials.

Having" thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a seam for securingtogether two pieces of material, one material piece having an edge portion folded in single thickness over onto the piece, the second material piece also having an edge portion folded in single thickness back over onto that second piece, the twopieces being laid ,one slightly over the other with the first piece folded-over edge portion on its top side and the second piece folded-over edge portion on its top side to have the under face of the first piece resting on the folded over edge portion of the second piece, and a single row of stitching through the first piece, its upper overturned folded edge portion and the overturned edge portion only of the second piece, said two pieces being overlapped with their fold lines only a sufficient distance one from the other to receive said row of stitching therebetween.

2. The method of joining together two sheets of material which consists of folding an edge portion of one sheet back over on top of the sheet, placing that one sheet on top of the second sheet to have said folded over portion appearing over the upper face of the first sheet, spacing the fold line of the first sheet inwardly from an edge of the second sheet to leave an exposed fiat area of the second sheet, maintaining that exposed area in fiat single thickness, stitching downwardly through said folded portion immediately adjacent its fold line and through the underlying first and second sheets, and then swinging said second sheet about said stitching around from under the first sheet to extend therefrom in substantial parallelism therewith.

- MOR'I'IMER T. PRESENT. 

